One summer day in 1998, the Hu family in Wu, Hubei Province welcomed their first child and named him Hu Yizhou, which means that they will spend their life safely and peacefully.
As the first child of Hu Houpei and Zhang Huiqin, who were 40 years old at the time, the birth of Zhou Zhou undoubtedly added infinite joy and expectation to the lives of this middle-aged couple.
However, the good times did not last long, and Zhouzhou, who was only one month old, began to have a recurrent fever, and the two worried parents hurriedly took the child to the hospital for examination. When the doctor diagnosed Zhouzhou with congenital Down syndrome, the bad news broke Zhang Huiqin like a thunderbolt from the blue.
She jumped up and down in excitement, screaming in grief as if the end of the world had come.
"How is he going to live in the future? He's a fool, who will pay attention to him!" Zhang Huiqin burst into tears, asked her husband in despair, and even wanted to die with her son for a while.
Seeing his wife's painful appearance, Hu Houpei held back the bitterness in his heart and said to his wife in a gentle but firm tone: "Since he came to this world, he is a complete life, and we have no right to abandon him, this is our duty as parents."
After this persuasion, Zhang Huiqin finally calmed down. The husband and wife encouraged each other and resolved that no matter how difficult the circumstances, they would do their best to raise this unfortunate child.
Looking at the innocent Zhouzhou sleeping in the crib, Zhang Huiqin's maternal love once again prevailed, she smoothed the soft hair on the child's forehead and kissed him lightly on the forehead.
No matter how difficult the road ahead is, they will work together as a family to get through it.
This is Xiao Zhouzhou's ordinary birth, but he accidentally provoked the cruel tricks of fate. Fortunately, he still has his loving parents by his side, which is a great luck.
As Zhou Zhou grew up, his appearance and mannerisms, which were different from ordinary people, gradually became the object of discrimination and ridicule.
Before going to elementary school, Zhouzhou was often surrounded by a group of children pointing fingers, and some directly disliked him for being ugly and avoided him from afar. Zhou Zhou didn't quite understand these things, but he was still shy and wanted to find a playmate.
Once, a few older children were idle and blocked Zhouzhou in a remote cul-de-sac in the community. They pointed at Zhouzhou's nose and cursed, forcibly ripped off his clothes and pants, and threw him naked in an abandoned water tank, while they themselves sneered and left.
Fortunately, some enthusiastic citizens found out that Zhou Zhou was rescued and did not freeze to death. After the family arrived, looking at the boat that was shivering and embarrassed by the cold, Zhang Huiqin cried bitterly.
How could these children be so vicious to a weak person? She was heartbroken, and she had to endure her grief to comfort the frightened Zhouzhou.
The problem of going to school has also become a heart problem for the couple. No matter how much they pleaded with the school to take it in, none of the schools dared to accept this "time bomb". Isolated parents had to teach Zhouzhou literacy on their own, but with little success.
An 8-year-old child only knows a few numbers from 1 to 5, and every time he thinks of this Zhang Huiqin, he feels sad.
All kinds of discrimination and torture have become the shadow of Zhouzhou's childhood. An innocent child who shouldn't have suffered has endured too much pain because of the injustice of fate.
Fortunately, he still has parents who love him, which is the only consolation.
When Zhouzhou was 16 years old, a sudden illness devastated the already overwhelmed family.
One day, Zhang Huiqin was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer by the doctor during the usual physical examination, and it was in the middle stage. This news was like a bolt from the blue, Zhang Huiqin fell into a trough of despair, and even had the idea of suicide again.
"We can't afford to raise a disabled son, and I have tuberculosis, which will only drag everyone down, so it's better to break it. Zhang Huiqin said to her husband with tears in her eyes.
Hu Houpei hurriedly and resolutely stopped his wife's thoughts and told her not to lose hope. "You are the backbone of this family, and my children and I need you. We'll definitely find a way to cure you.
In order to pay for expensive medical expenses, Hu Houpei had to start moving goods to earn money. Zhang Huiqin also disregarded her body and wore the stars and the moon, and worked three jobs to earn money to support her family.
She dragged her exhausted body out in the dark and returned home before dawn.
Once, on her way to a street stall, she suddenly fainted in the stairwell and was found dying. She was saved again, but her health deteriorated.
The difficult situation did not break this brave mother, she gritted her teeth and supported it, just to be able to spend one more day with her child. After all, in her heart, it is her responsibility as a mother to live, and she can't give up easily.
One day in 1997, director Zhang Yiqing came to Wuhan Song and Dance Theater. In a remote corner, he stumbles upon Zhouzhou.
The little boy held a pencil in his hand, waved it solemnly, and from time to time he made a "shhhhhhhh Zhang Yiqing suddenly became interested, and quietly observed Zhouzhou for a while, and a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Perhaps, this seemingly simple child will be the source of inspiration for a masterpiece.
So, Zhang Yiqing decided to make a documentary with the theme of boats. He had a hunch that the documentary would cause a sensation. In order to capture Zhouzhou's nature and inspiration, the filming process took 10 months.
In May 1998, "The World of Zhouzhou" premiered in Wuhan. At the end of the screening, the audience was all moved by how a disabled child had such an amazing musical talent! The documentary quickly became popular all over the country and even abroad.
People are curious and kind about this miraculous child. They all asked to meet Zhouzhou to learn about his musical talent. For a time, the north and south of the river radiated the light of the boat.
Although his father, Hu Houpei, knew that Zhouzhou's ability was limited, this was undoubtedly a turning point. So Zhouzhou started touring, and his family finally turned around. He has also gone from being an underdog that no one cares about to becoming a star that people love.
In 1999, under the sensational effect of the documentary, Zhouzhou began a national tour. Such a disabled child from an ordinary background became a household name overnight.
In 2000, Zhou Zhou and his father Hu Houpei were also invited to participate in a large-scale charity gala held by the China Disabled Persons' Federation in Beijing. When entering the venue, Zhou Zhou took the hand of American movie star Schwarzenegger and walked into the venue amid warm applause.
After the performance, Schwarzenegger donated $150,000 to Zhouzhou on the spot to express his goodwill.
In September of the same year, at the invitation of former US President John F. Kennedy's family, he flew to the United States to perform with the top American orchestra at the famous Carnegie Hall. For a 10-year-old Chinese boy, this is undoubtedly the pinnacle of his life.
But just when Zhouzhou was in the limelight and his life was the most exciting, his mother Zhang Huiqin died of illness in 2005, which gave Zhouzhou and Hu Houpei a huge blow.
With the changes of the times and the aesthetic fatigue of the public, Zhouzhou's position in the entertainment industry has collapsed. He was still in the spotlight the day before, and he was forgotten in history the next day.
The once star-studded days are gone, and Zhouzhou can no longer participate in TV shows and can't afford to hold concerts. His father, Hu Houpei, wanted to maintain his son's career, and did not hesitate to exhaust his savings to re-form the orchestra, but in the end he failed, so he could only accept the reality and return to his old business to make a living.
In 2016, Zhouzhou was diagnosed with lung cancer. In order to save his son, his father Hu Houpei emptied his savings. Fortunately, with the efforts of the doctors, Zhouzhou's lung cancer was cured and the worst outcome was avoided.
Today, 84-year-old Hu Houpei and 45-year-old Zhou Zhou live in a cramped old house. The simple boat boat is no longer as happy as before, and he always exudes a faint sadness when he meditates, perhaps a memory of the good times that have passed.
And the old father Hu Houpei could only sigh helplessly when he saw it in his eyes.
Although Zhouzhou's life has ups and downs, he has many wonderful moments that ordinary people can hardly achieve in their lives. It all depends on his tireless efforts and his beloved parents.
Hu Houpei and Zhang Huiqin unreservedly poured all their hearts and souls into it, just for this unfortunate child to live a decent life. Even in difficult circumstances, they never gave up hope.
It is this tenacious and optimistic attitude that has achieved the highlight of Zhouzhou's life.
His story also makes people reflect on the injustices and pains that each of us will encounter as human beings, but as long as we have hope and remain kind, we will be able to overcome difficulties and live a wonderful life.
For those who are not as fortunate as us, we should give tolerance, support and encouragement, which is also an inevitable choice for us to move forward together.
Zhouzhou's life goes on, and his musical talent may lead to a better tomorrow. And he will always be that simple and happy child, living in his own unique way, feeling the beauty of the world.